EARLY HISTORY
OF
YOSEMITE VALLEY
CALIFORNIA

Reprint of an article published in The Grizzly Bear
(Official Organ Native Sons and Native Daughters Golden West)
July, 1919

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1919

EARLY HISTORY OF YOSEMITE VALLEY, THE MASTERPIECE
OF NATURE’S HANDIWORK.

[By Ralph S. Kuykendall,
Native Sons History Fellow, 1918-19.]

INTRODUCTION.

Ralph S. Kuykendall, in this excellent article, makes several new
contributions to
the early history of the Yosemite Valley. He has unearthed a number of
official
reports and other contemporary documents bearing on the subject which have
never before been used by writers.

One of the documents is the first letter ever written in the Yosemite. This
and
another, from both of which extensive quotations are made in this article,
constitute Capt. Bowling’s report of the second expedition of 1851. By the
use of
this new material Mr. Kuykendall has been able definitely to determine for
the first
time the exact date of the discovery of the Yosemite, and to fix the
chronology of
the several military expeditions that were made into this region in 1851
and 1852.
(Herbert E. Bolton, professor of American History and curator of the
Bancroft
Library, University of California.)

THE INDIANS.

The beginnings of human life in the Yosemite Valley are shrouded in
impenetrable
mystery. As we seek to trace back the history of the people who were
occupying
the region when white men first entered its fastnesses we come almost
immediately into the realm of myth and legend, from which it is impossible to
extract any element of attested fact. But from the Indian legends,
filtered through
the imagination of the white folk, we can draw out a fairly consistent
story, which,
in the absence of authentic history, may serve as an introduction.

From time immemorial there had dwelt in the fair valley of Ahwahnee the
powerful
tribe of the Ahwahneechees. To this place they believed the Great Spirit
had led
them from their original home in the far-distant west. In their new,
high-walled
home the Ahwahneechees were secure from attack, and their warlike prowess
made
them feared and respected by all the other tribes of the mountains. But
at length
an evil time came upon them. Wars and a fearful pestilence decimated the
tribe.
The valley was held to be accursed, and the feeble remnant of its
inhabitants fled to
their neighbors or to the wild tribes across the mountains. For many years the
valley was deserted.

But a certain noble youth of the tribe, who had gone among the Monos, married a
maiden of that tribe, and to this pair a son was born, who was named
Teneiya. Now
Teneiya, when he had grown
to man’s estate, remembered the home of his fathers. So he gathered
together the
remnants of the tribe and returned with them to the vale of Ahwahnee; and
they
prospered and once more became powerful. And one day it happened that a
young
brave, going to the Lake of the Sleeping Water to spear fish, was met by a
monster
grizzly bear, and a terrific battle ensued, from which the Indian emerged
victorious, though grievously wounded. After this the young chief was called
Yosemite, or the large grizzly bear, and finally the name came to be
applied to the
whole tribe.

Thus far the legend. But with Teneiya we come to an historical personage,
the last
chief of the Yosemite Indians. He was ruling over the tribe when the white
men
came to the valley. When asked about the name Yosemite he is reported to
have
said that when he was a young chief this name had been selected for the
tribe—

because they occupied the mountains and valleys. which were the favorite
resort of the grizzly
bear, and because his people were expert in killing them. That his tribe
had adopted the, name
because those who had bestowed it were afraid of “the grizzlies” and
feared his band.1

Ethnologically the natives of the Yosemite Valley belonged to the Mariposa
dialect group of the southern Sierra Miwok Indians, and the ethnologists
assure us
that the Indian name for the valley was, and still is, Awani (Ahwahnee),
which was
the name of the principal village in the valley, and by extension, the name
of the
people also. The ending tei (or chee), signifying location or origin, is
sometimes
added to Awani (or Ahwahnee) when speaking of, the people. The name Yosemite
is simply a corruption of the term which the southern Miwoks applied to any
species of bear and particularly to the grizzly,2
and was given to the
valley, as we
shall see, because white people who first came in contact with its native
inhabitants called them Yosemites.

FIRST VISIT OF WHITE MEN.

There is no evidence to show that white men entered Yosemite Valley before
the
spring of 1851. There is some reason to believe that the Joseph R. Walker
expedition of 1833 descended the western slope of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains
along the ridge between the Merced and the Tuolumne Rivers and looked down
into the Yosemite Valley from its northern wall, but our best authority for
that
expedition, the contemporary or nearly contemporary
narrative of Zenas Leonard,
a member of the party, states clearly that they did not succeed in their
efforts to
go down into a valley which he describes in terms that have been taken to
apply to
the Yosemite. As early as 1806 a Spanish missionary and reconnaissance
expedition went half a day’s march up the Merced River, and other Spanish
expeditions crossed the Merced at later times, but none of these seem to.
have
gone farther up the river than the lowest foothills. A year or two before
1851
James D. Savage, while in pursuit of Indians, reached a point within a few
miles of
the valley. But the real discovery of this masterpiece of nature’s
handiwork was
made in 1851, as an incidental result of the effort to settle the Indian
problems
which had arisen in that region.

INDIAN WAR 0F 1850-51.

When the white men flocked into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains in
search of gold it was not long before difficulties arose with the Indians.
What
happened here was the same thing that had happened everywhere on the
frontier—
the red man had to give way to the white; but he did not do so without a
struggle.
This, struggle, it is true, was comparatively short, since the California
Indians
were not capable of maintaining a long contest. The war in the Mariposa
country
was only one episode in the red man’s fight to keep possession of his
ancestral
home, but it is the only part of it which we need to consider in this
connection.

In the beginning of 1850 James D. Savage had a trading post and mining camp
on
the Merced River some 20 miles below the Yosemite Valley, which was at that
time unknown to the whites. During the spring of that year Indians supposed
to
belong to the tribe known as the Yosemites made an attack on this post.
They were
driven off, but Savage thought it best to abandon the place and remove his
store to
Mariposa Creek. He also established a branch post on the Fresno River and
at
both places built up a prosperous trade. Savage had several Indian wives and
obtained a really remarkable influence over the Indian tribes with which
he was
connected. But there were malcontents among them and the tribes in the
mountains were suspicious and easily incited to acts of hostility.

On the 17th of December, 1850, Savage’s Indians deserted the Mariposa
camp and
on the same or the following day his post on the Fresno was attacked and
two of
the three men there present killed. Adam Johnston, the Indian agent,
describes the
scene as it was two days later when he visited it:

It presented a horrid scene of savage cruelty. The Indians had destroyed
everything they could
not use, or carry with them. The store was stripped of blankets, clothing,
flour, and everything
of value; the safe was broken open and rifled of its contents; the cattle,
horses and mules had
been run into the mountains; the murdered men had been stripped of their
clothing and lay
before us filled with arrows; one of them had yet 20 perfect arrows
sticking in him.1

Several other similar outrages occurred soon after and signalized the
beginning of
a general Indian war.

THE MARIPOSA BATTALION.

Under these circumstances the white settlers took prompt action to protect.
themselves. Under the lead of Sheriff James Burney and James D. Savage, a
volunteer company was formed, January 6, 1851, with Burney in command. This
force had several indecisive skirmishes with the Indians. Meanwhile the
governor
had been appealed to and he immediately authorized Sheriff Burney to call
out
200 militiamen and organize a battalion for service as the emergency might
demand. Under this authorization the Mariposa Battalion (as it was popularly
called) was formed, February 10, at Savage’s partially ruined store on
Mariposa
Creek. Savage was elected major, Burney having declined to be a candidate
for the
position, and three companies were organized under command of Capts. John J.
Kuykendall, John Bowling, and William Dill. Headquarters
were established on Mariposa Creek and here the battalion was
drilled in preparation for the campaign, and occasional scouting forays
were made into the enemy’s country.

INDIAN COMMISSIONERS TO RESCUE.

At the same time that Gov. McDougal issued his order for the
calling out of the militia he appealed for cooperation to the United
States Indian commissioners, McKee, Barbour, and Wozencraft, who
had just arrived in California with instructions to make treaties
with the Indian tribes. It was agreed that the commissioners would
go at once to the disaffected region and endeavor to treat with the
hostile tribes, and that the volunteer battalion which had been raised
should be subject to their directions. If negotiations failed, force
would be used to bring the Indians to terms. The commissioners
arrived at the Mariposa camp about the 1st of March, and immediately
sent out runners inviting the various tribes to come in and
have a talk. A meeting was arranged for the 9th of March, and
on the 19th a treaty was made with six tribes, which were at once
removed to a reservation between the Merced and the Tuolumne
rivers. The commissioners then went on to talk with the tribes
south of the Merced River, and left part of the volunteer battalion
to deal with the Indians who had refused to enter into the treaty.1

PURSUIT OF RECALCITRANT INDIANS.

Among the tribes which had agreed to come in to talk with the
commissioners was one which t he latter called the “Yosemetos”2
and which
Adam Johnston, the Indian agent, refers to as the
“Yocemete.”3
This tribe
had failed to appear, and reports brought in by friendly Indians indicated
that they had no intention of coming in. One of these friendly Indians is
reported to have said:

The Indians in the deep rocky valley on the Merced do not wish for peace,
and will not come in
to see the chiefs sent by the great father to make treaties. They think the
white men can not
find their hiding places, and that “therefore they can not be driven out.”4

It was therefore deemed necessary to send a military force after them.

On the evening of March 19, the very day on which the treaty was signed,
Maj. Savage set out5
with the companies of Capts. Bowling and Dill,
Capt. Kuykendall’s company being absent in the region of San Joaquin and
Kings Rivers.

The march was over rugged mountains and through deep defiles covered with
snows and was
one of considerable exposure and hardship. * * * Part of the march was
exceedingly difficult
and dangerous. It lay along a deep canyon and a part of it had to be made
through the water
and a part over precipitous cliffs covered with snow and ice.1

On the morning of the 22d a Nuchu rancheria on the South Fork of the Merced
River was surprised and captured without a fight. At this point a camp was
established and messengers were sent ahead to the Yosemites with a request
that
they come into camp. Next2
day the old chief Teneiya came in alone, and after an
interview with Savage promised that if allowed to return to his people he
would
bring them in. “He was allowed to go. The next day he came back, and said
his
people would soon come to our Camp.”3
The day passed and no Indians
appeared.
Maj. Savage, growing impatient, set out on the morning of March 25 with a part
of his command, taking the old chief along with him as guide. After a
little while
they met a company of 72 Indians on the trail, and Teneiya said that these
were all
of his people except some who had gone over the mountains. Savage replied:

There are but few of your people here. Your tribe is large. I am going to
your village to see
your people, who will not come with you. They will come with me if I find
them.4

DISCOVERY OF YOSEMITE VALLEY.

Teneiya was allowed to go to the camp on the South Fork with his people, but
Savage took one of his young braves as a guide and continued his march
toward
the north.5
Within a short time the company came to old Inspiration Point and
the full
view of the valley was presented to their gaze. It must be confessed,
however, that
the scenic wonder of this valley made very slight impression on these rough
men
of action, and without much ado they hastened down the trail and camped for
the
night on the south side of the Merced River, a little below El Capitan. The
day of
the discovery was March 25, 1851.6

As the tired campaigners sat about the camp fire that night the events of
the day
were passed in review and the question arose of giving a name to the valley
which
they had found. Dr. L. H. Bunnell, upon whom the scenes and events of this
campaign made a deeper impression than upon any of the others, suggested the
appropriateness of naming it after the aborigines who dwelt there. The
suggestion
was agreed to after some good-natured banter, and
since the white men called these Indians Yosemites the name Yosemite was
given
to the valley, rather than the more melodious Indian name Awani (Ahwahnee)
which already belonged to it.

The next day was spent in a search of the valley, but no Indians were found
save an
ancient squaw who was too old and decrepit to make her escape.1
Indian huts,
evidently deserted but a few hours before, and large caches of acorns and
other
provisions were found and destroyed. The valley was thoroughly explored by
the
volunteers, one party going up Teneiya Creek beyond Mirror Lake and another
ascending the Merced to a point above Nevada Fall. The search proving
fruitless
and the supplies running low it was decided to abandon the chase and return
to the
camp on the South Fork. From there the Indians who had been gathered
together
were started toward the commissioners’ camp on the Fresno, but before they
arrived at their destination the negligence of the guard permitted them to
escape
and they returned to their mountain fastnesses. They were gone, but
assuredly not
forgotten.2

In Judge Marvin’s account of this expedition occurs what is probably the
first
printed description of the Yosemite, Valley:

The rancherias of the Yosemitees is described as being in a valley of
surpassing beauty, about 10 miles
in length and 1 mile broad. Upon either side are high perpendicular rocks,
and at each end through which
the Middle Fork runs, deep canyons, the only accessible entrance to the
valley. The forest trees, such as
pine, fir, redwood, and cedar, are of immense height and size.

About the middle, of April Maj. Savage led a fruitless expedition into the
mountains in an effort to round up certain reluctant bands of Chowchilla
Indians.
On the 29th of April the commissioners made, a treaty with 16 tribes of
Indians
between the Chowchilla and Kaweah Rivers and placed them on a reservation.
The
three commissioners, then divided their territory, and each went to a
different
part of the State, to continue their labors, leaving the volunteer
battalion to
complete the work here by bringing to the reservations the Indians who were
still
lurking in the mountains.

SECOND EXPEDITION TO YOSEMITE.

On May 4, 1851, Maj. Savage addressed to Capt. John Bowling the following
order:

Sir:
You will with 35 of your company take up the line of march for the
Yosemite vicinities. You will, if
possible, surprise them and whip them well. But in the event you can not
surprise them you will make use
of any means in your power to induce them to come down and treat.3

There is an official account of this expedition, written by Capt. Bowling
in the
form of two letters. The first of these was written May 15, 1851, in the
Yosemite
Valley, and. addressed to Maj. Savage.
The second was written May 29 at the camp on the Fresno River, and
addressed to
Col. G. W. Barbour, one of the Indian commissioners. These reports have not
heretofore been known to writers on the history of the Yosemite Valley, and
since
they give a vivid account of this expedition, I think it worth while to
let Capt.
Bowling tell the story in his own words.1
Writing from the “Yo-Semety
Village.
May 15, 1851,” he says:

On reaching this valley, which we did on the 9th instant, I selected for our
encampment the most secluded place that I could find, lest our arrival
might be
discovered by the Indians. Spies were immediately dispatched in different
directions, some of
which crossed the river to examine for signs on the opposite
side. Trails were soon found, leading up and down the river, which had been
made since the last rain. On the morning of the 10th we took up the line of
march for the upper end of the valley, and having traveled about 5 miles we
discovered five Indians running up the river on the north side. All of my
command,
except a sufficient number to take care of the pack animals, put
spurs
to their animals, swam the river and caught them before they could get into
the mountains. One of them proved to be the son of the old Yosemite
chief.2
I informed them if they would come down from the mountains and go with me
to the United States Indian commissioners, they would not be hurt; but if
they
would not, I would remain in their neighborhood as long as there was a fresh
track to be found; informing him at the same time that all the Indians
except
his father’s people and the Chouchillas had treated. * * * He then informed
me that * * * if I
would let him loose with another Indian, he
would bring in his father and all his people by 12 o’clock the next day.

I then gave them plenty to eat and started him and his companion out. We
watched the others
close, intending to hold them as hostages until the dispatch-bearers
returned. They appeared
well satisfied and we were not suspicious of them, in consequence of which
one of them
escaped. We commenced searching for him, which alarmed the other two still
in custody, and
they attempted to make their escape. The boys took after them and, finding
they could not
catch them, fired and killed them both. This circumstance, connected with
the fact of the two
whom we had sent out not returning, satisfied me that they had no intention
of coming in. My
command then set out to search for the rancheria. The party which went up
the left toward
Canyarthia [?] found the rancheria at the head of a little valley, and from
the signs it appeared
that the Indians had left but a few minutes. The boys pursued them up the
mountain on the
north side of the river, and when they had got near the top, helping each
other from rock to
rock on account of the abruptness of the mountains, the first intimation
they had of the Indians
being near was a shower of huge rocks which came tumbling down the
mountain, threatening
instant destruction. Several of the men were knocked down, and some of them
rolled and fell
some distance before they could recover, wounding and bruising them
generally. One man’s
gun was knocked out of his hand and fell 70 feet before it stopped, whilst
another man’s hat
was knocked off his head without hurting him. The men immediately took
shelter behind large
rocks, from which they could get an occasional shot, which soon forced the
Indians to retreat,
and by pressing them close they caught the old Yosemite chief, whom we yet
hold as a
prisoner. In this skirmish they killed one Indian and wounded several
others.

You are aware that I know this old fellow well enough to look out well for
him, lest by some
stratagem he makes his escape. I shall aim to use him to the best advantage
in pursuing his
people. I send down a few of my command with the pack animals for
provisions; and I am
satisfied if you will send me 10 or 12 of old Ponwatchi’s best men.3
I could catch the women
and children and thereby force the men to come in. The Indians I have with
me have acted in
good faith and agree with me in this opinion.

The account is continued in the letter to Col. Barbour:

* * * Notwithstanding the number of our party being reduced to 22 men, by
the absence of the
detachment necessary to escort with safety the pack train, we continued the
chase with such
rapidity, that we forced a large portion of the Indians to take refuge in
the plains with friendly
Indians, while the remainder sought to conceal themselves among the rugged
cliffs in the
snowy regions of the Sierra Nevada.

Thus far I have made it a point to give as little alarm as possible. After
capturing some of them
I set a portion at liberty, in order that they might assure the others that
if they come in they
would not be harmed. Notwithstanding the treachery of the old chief, who
contrived to lie and
deceive us all the time, his grey hairs saved the boys from inflicting on
him that justice which
would have been administered under other circumstances. Having become
satisfied that we
could not persuade him to come in, I determined on hunting them, and if
possible running them
down, lest by leaving them in the mountains they would form a new
settlement and a place of
refuge for other ill-disposed Indians who might do mischief and retreat
to the mountains, and
finally entice off those who are quiet and settled in the reserve. On the
20th (of May) the
train of pack animals and provisions arrived, accompanied by a few more men
than the party
which went out after provisions, and Ponwatchi, the chief of the Nuchtucs
(Nuchu) tribe with
12 of his warriors.

On the morning of the 21st we discovered the trail of a small party of
Indians traveling in the
direction of the Monos’ country. We followed this trail until 2 o’clock
next day, 22d, when one
of the scouting parties reported a rancheria near at hand. Almost at the
same instant a spy was
discovered watching our movements. We made chase after him immediately and
succeeded in
catching him before he arrived at the rancheria, and we also succeeded in
surrounding the
ranch and capturing the whole of them. This chase in reality was not that
source of amusement
which it would seem to be when anticipated. Each mail in the chase was
stripped to his
drawers, in which situation all hands ran at full speed at least four
miles, some portion of the
time over and through snow 10 feet deep, and in this 4-mile heat all
Ponwatchi gained on my
boys was only distance enough to enable them to surround the rancheria
while my men ran up
in front. Two Indians strung their bows and seized their arrows, when they
were told that if
they did not surrender they would be instantly killed.

They took the proper view of this precaution and immediately surrendered.
The inquiry was
made of those unfortunate people if they were then satisfied to go with us;
their reply was they
were more than willing, as they could go to no other place. From all we
could see and learn
from those people we were then on the main range of the Sierra Nevada. The
snow was in
many places more than 10 feet deep, and generally where it was deep the
crust was
sufficiently strong to bear a man’s weight, which facilitated our traveling
very much. Here
there was a large lake completely frozen over, which had evidently not yet
felt the influence of
the spring season.1
The trail which we were bound to travel lay along the
side of a steep
mountain so slippery that it was difficult to get along barefoot without
slipping and falling
hundreds of yards. This place appearing to be their last resort or place
where they considered
themselves perfectly secure from the intrusion of the white man. In fact
those people appear to
look upon this place as their last home, composed of nature’s own
materials, unaided by the
skill of man.

The conduct of Ponwatchi and his warriors during this expedition entitled
him and them to
much credit. They performed important service voluntarily and cheerfully,
making themselves
generally useful, particularly in catching the scattered Indians after
surprising a rancheria. Of
the Yosemities, few, if any, are now left in the mountains. * * *

It seems that their determined obstinacy is entirely attributable to the
influence of their chief,
whom we have a prisoner, among others of his tribe, and whom we intend to
take care of.
They have now been taught the double lesson—that the white man would not
give up the chase
without the game, and at the same time, if they would come down from the
mountains and
behave themselves they would be kindly treated.

Altogether Capt. Bowling’s command spent about two weeks in the valley on
this
occasion. The main purpose of the expedition having been accomplished, a
return
was made) to the, headquarters on the Fresno and the Indians were placed on
the
reservation. Teneiya, however, chafed under restraint and appealed
repeatedly for
permission to return to the, mountains. Finally, on his solemn promise to
behave,
he was allowed to go back to the valley, taking his immediate family with
him. In a
short time a number of his old followers made their escape from the
reservation
and were supposed to have joined him. No attempt was made to bring them
back,
and no complaint was heard against the Yosemites during the winter of
1851-52.

EXPEDITION OF 1852.

On the 20th of May, 1852, party of eight prospectors started from Coarse
Gold
Gulch on a trip to the upper waters of the Merced River. They had just
entered the
Yosemite Valley when they were set upon by a band of Indians, and two of
them,
named Rose and Shurborn were killed and a third badly wounded. The others
got
away and after enduring great hardships arrived again at Coarse Gold Gulch
on the
2d of June. The same day about 30 or 40 miners set out to punish the
treacherous
Yosemites. This party found and buried the bodies of the murdered men, but
they
were compelled to return without punishing the perpetrators of the deed.1

The commander at Fort Miller having been informed of these events, a
detachment of Regular soldiers under Lieut. Moore, with scouts and guides,
was
at once dispatched into the mountains. On arriving in the Yosemite Valley
this
expedition surprised and captured five Indians. Clothing said to belong to
the
murdered men being found upon them, they were summarily shot. The remainder
of the Yosemites with their old chief Teneiya made their escape and fled
over the
mountains into the Mono country. Thither the soldiers pursued, but were
unable to
catch any of them. The party lost a few horses, killed by the Indians,
explored the
region about Mono Lake, discovered some gold deposits, and then returned to
the
fort on the San Joaquin by a route that led south of the Yosemite Valley.
This
expedition was made in June and July, 1852.

DEATH OF TENEIYA.

Teneiya and his fellow tribesmen seem to have remained among the Monos until
the summer of 1853, when they returned once more to the Yosemite Valley.
They
repaid the hospitality of the Monos by stealing a number of their horses.
This
proceeding stirred the wrath of the Monos, and they determined to wreak
summary vengeance upon their erstwhile guests. They put on their war paint
and
descended suddenly upon the Yosemites while the latter were in the midst of
a
gluttonous feast. Old Teneiya had his skull crushed by a rock hurled from
the hand
of a Mono warrior and all except a handful of his followers were slain. The
tribe
was virtually exterminated,
though a few of their descendants still survive. From that day to the
present there
has been peace in the vale of Ahwahnee.

YOSEMITE IS MADE KNOWN.

In the manner which has been described, the Yosemite Valley was discovered;
but
the Californians of that early day, and particularly those in the mining
region, had
very little interest in scenery. The discovery of a rich placer would have
attracted
some attention, but mere scenery none at all. The wonderful valley remained
practically undisturbed for three years longer. Early in the year 1855 one
of the
very meager descriptions of Yosemite called forth by the events of 1851 and
1852 came by chance to the notice of J. M. Hutchings. Hutchings was at the
moment laying plans for the publication of his
California Magazine,
and for
that
reason the mention of a waterfall a thousand feet high arrested his
attention, and
he resolved to investigate the matter.

In June or July, 1855, Hutchings formed a party to visit the valley,
consisting of
himself, Walter Millard, and Thomas Ayres, an artist. At Mariposa, a fourth
member, Alexander Stair, joined the party. Some difficulty was experienced
in the
matter of a guide, but finally, through the assistance of Capt. Bowling and
some
other members of the Mariposa Battalion, two Indians were found to perform
that
essential service, and in due time the party found their way into the
valley.

Says Hutchings:

We spent five glorious days in luxurious scenic banqueting here, the memory
of which is like
the mercies of the Almighty, “new every morning and fresh every evening.”
We left it
reluctantly, even when our sketch and note-books were as full to repletion
with elevating
treasures as our souls were with loving veneration for their wonderful
Author.

Upon their return to the settlements these men gave an enthusiastic account
of
their experiences. Hutchings wrote an article which was printed in the
Mariposa Gazette of August 16,
and parts of which were quoted in the
San Francisco (Calif.) Chronicle of August 18.
A picture by Ayres was lithographed and published
soon
after, and before the year was out two other parties made their way into
the valley.
With the visit of Hutchings, Ayres, Millard, and Stair the tourist travel to
Yosemite may fairly be said to have begun.

5See Maj .Savage’s orders, Nos. 11 and 12, in Elliott’s. History of Fresno County,
p. 179;
also Johnston’s letter to
Crane, cited above. An account of this expedition was written by Judge John
G. Marvin, quartermaster of the
battalion, from information furnished by Adjt. M. B. Lewis and Lieut [?
Corp. I. H.] Brooks. This account was
written three weeks after the return of the expedition, and was printed in
the San Francisco Alta California, Apr. 23,
1851. The account here given is based on that of Judge Marvin and the
well-known history by Bunnell. Dr. Bunnell
was a member of both the expeditions of 1851, but his first account of
them, in
Hutchings’ California Magazine, later
expanded into
his book,
was not published until May, 1859.

2
Bunnell,
p. 45. Marvin says he brought two of his sons with him. It Is
interesting to notice that the name
Teneiya does not appear in any of the strictly contemporary documents
relating to these expeditions of 1851 and
1852. This name first appeared in print, so far as I am, aware, in
Bunnell’s short account in Hutchings’ California
Magazine for May, 1895
[Ed. note: 1859].
J. M. Hutchings’ first account, published in the
same magazine for July, 1856, and based
apparently on information received from Capt. Bowling and from John D.
Hunt, a member of the battalion, gives
the name of the old chief as Je-ne-a-eh. The contemporary accounts call him
Yosemite (variously spelled), when
they refer to him by name.

5
Ibid.,
52-3. Marvin says that Savage took the old chief along with him into the
valley.

6This date is definitely fixed by Judge Marvin’s account, for which there
is abundant supporting evidence on this
point. Bunnell is practically right.
He says (p. 70)
that it was “about
the 21st of March.”
J. M. Hutchings
(In the Heart of the Sierras,
pp. 56-7, 61)
in an otherwise excellent account,
blunders badly on the date, placing it on May
5 or 6. The evidence which he cites proves, in fact, the impossibility of
his conclusions.

Page 8.

1
Bunnell,
chapter 5. Marvin says that they found “a very old Indian and his
wife, the father and mother
of Yo-Semitee [Teneiya], who had been left behind to perish or to take care
of themselves as best they
could * * *.” But it seems clear to me that a circumstance so remarkable as
this would hardly have
escaped Dr. Bunnell. It must be remembered that Marvin, though he wrote
within a month after these
events, was not an eye witness. As to the treatment accorded this withered
specimen (or specimens)
Bunnell and Marvin agree. A supply of wood for fuel and acorns for food was
placed within easy reach.

2Judge Marvin states that the Indians Were turned over to the
commissioners, but this probably refers
to about a hundred gathered up by Capt. Dill in the neighborhood of the
Fresno.

1These letters were printed in the
San Francisco Alta California, June 12 and 14, 1851.
The first one is beyond
any question the first letter ever written in the Yosemite Valley.

2Bunnell,
p. 147, says three of them were sons of Teneiya, and that the
peaks known as the Three Brothers
received that name from the circumstance of the three sons of Teneiya being
captured near them.

1San Francisco Alta California, June 10, 18, 1852.
Neither
Bunnell
nor
Hutchings
mention this expedition of
miners. They attribute the burial of the murdered men to the military
expedition that followed.

About the Author

Ralph S. Kuykendall was born April 12, 1885 in Linden, California,
the son of a Methodist clergyman and missionary,
John Wesley Kuykendall, and Marilla Pierce Kuykendall.
He graduated from University of the Pacific with a AB in 1910 and
from University of California (Berkeley) with a MA in 1918.
Kuykendall married Edith Clare Kelly in 1919 and they had two sons.
She died 1948.
Kuykendall’s interest in California history began during
his days at University of California inventorying California county archives
and researching Pacific voyages in the Spanish archives.
In 1922 he moved to Hawaii and became interested in Hawaiian history.
Mr. Kuykendall was assistant professor and professor at University of Hawaii, Honolulu
from 1931 to his retirement in 1950.
He has written several Hawaiian histories.
The best known is
Hawaiian Kingdom 1854-1874, Twenty Critical Years (1853).
He died May 9, 1963 in TUcson, Arizona.
An editorial of his death is in the Honolulu Advertiser for May 21.